| The Scarlet Letter (TV miniseries) | |
 |
|
| Directed by | Rick Hauser |
|---|---|
| Produced by | Rick Hauser Herbert Hirschman |
| Written by | Nathaniel Hawthorne Allan Knee Alvin Sapinsley |
| Starring | Josef Sommer Meg Foster Elisa Erali John Heard Kevin Conway |
| Music by | John Morris |
| Cinematography | Bob Collins |
| Editing by | Ken Denisoff Janet McFadden Tucker Wiard |
| Studio | WGBH Boston |
| Distributed by | PBS Home Video |
| Release date(s) | 1979 |
| Running time | 240 minutes (four 60 minute episodes) |
| Country | USA |
| Language | English |
The Scarlet Letter is a 1979 miniseries based on the novel of the same name that aired on WGBH from March 3, 1979 to March 24, 1979. The series is four episodes long, 60 minutes each. Part 2 won the 1979 Emmy Award for Outstanding Video Tape Editing for a Limited Series or Special for film editors Ken Denisoff, Janet McFadden, and Tucker Wiard.
In 1979, when most literary programs were being produced in the United Kingdom, Boston public television station WGBH decided to produce a homegrown literary classic of its own. The result is this epic version of Nathaniel Hawthorne's enduring novel of Puritan America in search of its soul. Hester Prynne overcomes the stigma of adultery to emerge as the first great heroine in American literature. Hawthorne's themes, the nature of sin, social hypocrisy, and community repression, still reverberate through American society.
Meg Foster brings a quiet strength to the role of Hester, the adulteress condemned to wear a scarlet "A" for the rest of her life. As her partner in crime, the Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale, John Heard writhes in private torment most convincingly. Kevin Conway completes this grim triangle as the mysterious, maleficent Roger Chillingworth. The costumes and scenery are simple, so as not to detract from the dialogue as each character grapples with the meaning of sin, forgiveness, sexuality, and redemption.
Principal Cast
- Josef Sommer as Nathaniel Hawthorne
- Meg Foster as Hester Prynne
- Elisa Erali as Pearl Prynne
- John Heard as Reverend Arthur Dimmesdale
- Kevin Conway as Roger Chillingworth
Crew
- Directed by Rick Hauser
- Writing credits: Nathaniel Hawthorne, Allan Knee, and Alvin Sapinsley
- Produced by Rick Hauser and Herbert Hirschman
- Original music by John Morris
- Cinematography by Bob Collins
- Film editing by Ken Denisoff, Janet McFadden, and Tucker Wiard
 |
This PBS article is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |
This entry is from Wikipedia, the leading user-contributed encyclopedia. It may not have been reviewed by professional editors (see full disclaimer)
